1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to popcorn machines, and in particular, to semi-automated or fully automated machines.
2. Problems in the Art
A variety of popcorn machines exist. Many home-use popcorn machines utilize a heated base and small cover in which individual batches of popcorn are made with the use of oil or the like. Hot air poppers for home use are also available. They generally discharge popcorn from a spout and are quite compact in size. They do not use oil to create the popcorn.
Larger popcorn machines, including those used for commercial endeavors, tend to have a larger housing or enclosure for storing popped popcorn. Conventionally, a kettle or bucket with a heating element requires the user to load popcorn seeds and oil or shortening into the kettle, monitor its progress, and pop new batches when popcorn in the enclosure is exhausted or close to be used up. Not only does this require relatively constant monitoring of the machine, but substantial effort and resources to maintain its operation. There are also issues regarding danger to the user (e.g., burns) and cleanliness issues (e.g., multiple opening and closing of doors to the popcorn and multiple hands handling the popcorn).
Relatively recently, there is a heightened awareness and concern regarding healthiness of foods. Because most conventional commercial poppers utilize some sort of oil or shortening, there is concern over the amount of fat, and healthiness thereof, for such popcorn. Air poppers do not utilize such oil and therefore have that advantage over oil or shortening based poppers. However, air poppers present logistic and labor issues where substantial amounts of popcorn on a continual basis are needed. They also produce a significant amount of heat that is distributed by the creation of hot air.
With respect to commercial level popcorn machines, there is a need in the art for automation of at least part of the operation of the machine. This would relieve workers or users from substantial effort of operating them. Also, a need has been identified for a practical semi-automatic or automatic commercial-size popcorn machine. Also, there has been identified a need for a machine that could precisely meter individual servings to customers instead of requiring the customer or an attendant to manually fill a customer's popcorn container. A need has also been identified for a self-contained, larger semi or fully automated popcorn machine that is modular in nature, having subsystems that can be interchanged.